


O Christmas Tree

by merryghoul



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Anthropomorphic, Christmas, Christmas Tree, Gen, Holidays
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-17
Updated: 2014-12-17
Packaged: 2018-03-01 20:32:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,423
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2786759
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/merryghoul/pseuds/merryghoul
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Steven buys a Christmas tree so the Gems can celebrate Christmas together.  But a tree is never just a tree when Steven's around.</p>
            </blockquote>





	O Christmas Tree

**Author's Note:**

  * For [DuoHimura](https://archiveofourown.org/users/DuoHimura/gifts).



> This fic does hint at plot developments up until "Watermelon Steven," so there might be some spoilers if you haven't seen most of the first season. But you don't need to watch all the episodes of the show to follow along with what's going on with the fic.

Every year, Beach City holds a Christmas tree lighting ceremony.  A tree is cut and sent from inland and is erected in Beach City's square.  The tree is then decorated with Christmas lights and a large star made out of clear lights.  And Mayor Dewey always has a long-winded speech planned before the lights are turned on.  This year's Christmas tree lighting ceremony was no different.

"…the beaches of Beach City will never feel the chill of December's winds," Mayor Dewey continued, after spending several minutes talking about the tree and its inland origins.  "We are fortunate enough to have the light breezes of summer gather around this foreign tree."

Steven, who was in attendance at the Christmas tree lighting ceremony, made a fart sound.  The crowd in attendance snickered. 

"So like the warm, moist winds of Beach City…"

Steven made another fart sound. 

"Let us welcome this year's Christmas tree to Beach City."

Mr. Smiley turned on the Christmas lights on the Beach City Christmas Tree.  When the tree was lit up, Steven's eyes lit up.  His mouth was wide open.  All he could say was "Whoa."

 

After the ceremony was over, Steven ran back to the beach house, where the rest of the Gems were around the beach house's kitchen.  He ran straight to Pearl. 

"Pearl, can we have a Christmas tree?" Steven asked.

"Steven, I…"  She stammered.  "I don't know what that is."

"It's a tree."

"Well, I know what a tree is."

"It's a tree that you stand up inside your house and put lights around it.  And you can put ornaments and these things called garlands around it, too."

"That sounds dangerous."

Amethyst blew a raspberry.  "Dangerous?  How can one little tree be dangerous?  It's just a tree."

"We don't do Christmas," Garnet added.

"You're thousands of years old," Steven said.  "How do you not celebrate Christmas?"

"It's like birthdays," Garnet said.  "They're not our thing."

"This year, I'm going to fix this unjustice," Steven said.  "I'm getting you all a Christmas tree, and I'm decorating it with anything I can get."

 

Mr. Smiley was the only person selling Christmas trees in Beach City.  He sold them on the boardwalk, close to the Funland Arcade.

Steven walked up to Mr. Smiley, money in hand.  "Hi, Mr. Smiley."

"Hey, Steven."

"I see you're back from getting your Christmas trees from inland."

Mr. Smiley chucked.  "Yep.  It took a while, but I managed to get them all back to Beach City."

"I'd like to buy a Christmas tree from you.  What's the cheapest tree I can buy?"

"Not a big one.  And you should be able to carry it.  I don't want your friends anywhere near my arcade."

"I said I was sorry about Meat Beat Mania, Mr. Smiley."

"You still broke it."

Mr. Smiley gave Steven the smallest, scrawniest tree Mr. Smiley could give Steven.

Steven grinned.  "I'll take it."

 

Steven then went to see his dad at It's A Wash.  Greg Universe was looking for something in his van when Steven arrived with his tree.

Steven put the tree down on the ground.  "Hi, Dad."

Greg hit his head on the roof of his van, then groaned.  He climbed out of the driver's seat of the car.  "Hey, Steven."

"I bought a Christmas tree for the Gems."

Greg walked up to the tree.  "I love it."

"But I don’t have any money for ornaments.  I was wondering if you have anything I could decorate the tree with."

"I don't know, son.  It's been a while since I've had a Christmas tree.  Maybe I have something in here."

Greg went back into his van.  He was able to find one red ball ornament and a star tree topper.  Greg gave the ornament and the star to Steven.  "That's all I could find, Steven.  If every pork chop were perfect…"

"We wouldn't have hot dogs.  Thanks, Dad."  Steven hugged his father and raced back to the beach house with the ornament, star, and tree.

 

Steven put the Christmas tree in the middle of the beach house.  The tree started to sag when the ornament and the star were placed on top of it.  Steven attempted to straighten out the tree with his hands, but quickly began to grow frustrated.  At one point, Steven said to the tree, "Why can't you just stand straight?"

As soon as Steven said that, the tree stood erect, despite the weight of the star and the ornament added to it.

The Gems walked into the beach house, having warped back there from their last adventure taming a corrupt Gem that transformed into a monster.  They saw Steven standing near the tree.

"I got us a Christmas tree."  Steven jumped up and down. 

"I thought trees were supposed to be larger," Garnet said.

"Christmas trees can be small, too, Garnet.  This was the smallest Christmas tree I could afford.  And my dad gave me the star and the ornament."

Amethyst walked over to the tree and played with the ornament.  In response, the tree sprouted a mouth and began to attempt to eat Amethyst.

Amethyst struggled in the tree's mouth.  Even though her words were muffled, she managed to get out "I don't think trees are supposed to eat anything."

Pearl pulled out her spear from her gem.  She blasted the tree and Amethyst out of the beach house and onto the beach.  The tree didn't spit out Amethyst when it landed on what became the creature's back. 

Pearl ran outside and met the tree first, with Steven and Garnet not far behind her.  Pearl pointed the spear at the tree.  "Why don't you spit her out and fight me like…like a tree?"

The tree spat Amethyst out.  Amethyst groaned and rolled around on the sand after she was released.  The tree backed up and straightened itself out for Pearl.  Then it bent its head and came charging for Pearl.  Pearl attempted to stab at and swordfight the tree's star and head, but the tree ducked all of Pearl's moves.  She kept trying to tell the tree to hold still.  The tree refused.

Steven waved his hands up and down as he was running to the tree.  "Tree?  Please stop, Tree." 

Pearl stopped Steven before he could get closer to the tree.  "Stay away, Steven.  This tree is trying to kill us all."

"It's not trying to kill us all," Steven said.  "I was trying to put the ornament and the star on top of the tree and the tree started to sag.  I told the tree to stand up and I guess it listened to me."

"So this tree is trying to protect you like your watermelons did."

"I guess."  

"Do you think you can talk the tree out of attacking me and eating Amethyst?  Because if that tree doesn't listen to you, I swear I'm going to chop off its tip."

"I promise you won't have to hurt Tree, Pearl."

Pearl backed away, her staff still in hand. 

"I wanted you to meet the Gems, Tree.  They've lived on Earth for bazillions of years and they've never celebrated a single Christmas.  I know you weren't the tallest, strongest, or leafiest tree when I bought you from Mr. Smiley.  But I thought I could put presents under you and exchange them with the Gems when Christmas finally came.  I didn't think you'd try to attack them.

"I don't need protection from the Gems.  The Gems would never try to hurt me.  And I don't want you harming the Gems.  Tree, I want you to leave the Gems alone.  If the Gems are my friends, then they're your friends, too.

The tree stood still and ceased trying to attack Pearl.  Pearl froze; her mouth fell open.

Garnet walked beside Pearl.  "Some battles are not yours to fight, Pearl," Garnet said. 

 

The tree obeyed Steven thorough the holidays and ceased to attempt to harm the Gems.  But the tree still wasn't fond of one of the Gems.

On Christmas Day, the tree growled at Amethyst as she was attempting to pick up the present Steven gave her.  Amethyst growled back at the tree.

"Tree, I told you to behave," Steven said to the tree.

The tree stopped growling.  Amethyst picked up her present and opened it.  It was a donut from Big Donut.  Amethyst ate the donut in one gulp.  "Thanks, Steven.  But you know what'd be really cool for Christmas?  If we had an attack Christmas tree—"

"Absolutely not," Pearl said.  Garnet nodded in agreement. 


End file.
